#bikeschool: Yearbook 2.0

As the #bikeschool Twitter session is growing stronger and stronger we are gaining new students every week, which made me remember about our beloved Yearbook. If you are new to class you may not realise there is a wealth of information on your fellow classmates here at LovingTheBike.com.

So please read through all the wonderful facts about the classmates you will meet each Thursday… and then send in your own! I want to more than double the size of this Yearbook with the new classmates (and those older ones who didn’t send one in the first time! You know who you are!) Check out the original post below and then get emailing! Enjoy!

(The following article was first published on the 10th of May 2011)

A little while ago I introduced the idea of creating a yearbook for #bikeschool and suggested a video of your personal biking bio would be a great way to get to know and SEE the Tweeps behind the Tweets. Now I’m not going to retract my statement that this was a great big noggin-box genius type of idea but I will admit it may have been somewhat misguided to think that everyone had the time, technology, capabilities and inclination to get out there and produce a video. You will be pleased to hear though that the idea has not been laid to rest and after many people commented on the idea a few weeks ago at #bikeschool, I thought it was time we started the roll call. The Professors/Rascals have their very own bio pages over at the #bikeschool EVOLution page so feel free to check them out too.

Roll Call

This is a process that is going to rely heavily on you as class members to send in your personal bio’s with as little or as much information as you are willing to divulge! A photo, a very short bio and 140 characters is all you have to define yourself on Twitter, but here is you chance to extend that and tell us anything and everything. You can view my video-bio below and also a great list of #bikeschool students have entered their names in pictures into #bikeschool history in the first edition of the #bikeschool Yearbook. This will be a ‘living document’ so if you haven’t sent in you bio yet, it can still be added. All bio’s should be sent with a picture to stevie@lovingthebike.com and they will be uploaded here for the world to see! There is also a special, limited edition, never ever repeated bike video of me at the bottom of the page.

As I young kid, I was the anti-bikeschool student. In fact, my dad had to take apart and hide the pieces to my Big Wheel so I’d quit riding that. I’m not sure I ever told him I knew his trick. I’d reassemble it, ride up and down the long driveway, then take it back apart while he was at work. (He probably did. Dads are wise to these things.) I did finally learn to ride on two wheels a bit later than my friends. Once I mastered it, I never looked back! I’ve ridden ever since, from my first purple Spyder with mini ape hangers and banana seat to the crome Huffy BMX with a hand brake, which I saved and bought with my own money. Several other bikes have graced my past. I’ve held on tight to the last two bikes I’ve owned. My Trek MTB was a gift from my parents when I started college. It was my only transportation. I was a bike commuter before I knew such cool creatures existed. I thought I was just a poor college student. I still ride the Trek, but also enjoy riding the drops of my Gary Fisher road bike.

Off the bike, I’m a dad to 3 great kids, who have each learned to ride as I ran behind them. They don’t LOVE THE BIKE like I do, but I’ll keep them anyway. I live by example and still have hopes of some long rides with them by my side. I have a unique job in construction sales/market development that allows me to travel the central U.S. on a regular basis. I’ve used that opportunity to meet several Bike School buddies. Each one I’ve meet has been a great person. I’m not sure if they’re great because they’re LOVING THE BIKE or if they’re #BIKESCHOOL classmates. It’s probably both. Outside of cycling, work and kids, I’ve become a bit of a run-nerd. I completed 2 full marathons this year, but my favorite distance is still the half marathon. My next goal is to try the TRI.

Dave – Most likely to be found removing children’s training wheels in the middle of the night like a garage ninja

I have lived my whole life “car free”. My bike is my main form of transportation. From commuting, to going to the shops and everything in between. I also love to get out for a recreational ride whenever I can. When I’m not riding, I am usually spending time with the family or watching cycling! I also like watching Australian rules football (Go the Mighty Bombers!) and English premier league (Arsenal). I strongly beleive my need to get “More people cycling, more often”

[ED:As a Collingwood fan I had trouble writing that Bombers bit… but the memory of the 2010 Anzac day smash & grab helped me through it!]

Mark – Most likely to develop saddle-shaped sit bones

Kayla Beaconsfield

I am a 11 year old girl who loves to ride my bike. I usually go riding with my dad. I would like to race bikes when I get older. I started joining in with #bikeschool when I saw my dad doing it and thought “That looks like fun”. I dont have twitter yet but when I’m with dad, we use #Kayla so people know its me.

This is my 4th year racing. I went from a Cat 4 to a Cat 2 in 12 months and then starting racing Pro/1/2 last year. I got on the top women’s team in Northern California (Touchstone Climbing Women’s Elite Cycling Team) and have been working

as a domestique for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. I’m still developing as an athlete but have been told that I have the natural body-type to climb well and have a ‘spring-classics’ type of ‘punch’. It takes a long time to develop as an athlete and I absolutely love the sport and the bike. I’m heavily involved in the cycling community here and in the Sacramento Valley Velodrome Association and I’m trying to build my coaching clientele and do clinics, you can find more information on my coaching here.

Hhhmmmm as far as my history goes – I did dabble in multiple sports growing up: Tennis, softball, soccer, & basketball. Going into college I got pretty into hiking, camping and mountain biking, which I guess that’s when I fell in love with the bike. I did my first road bike race and fell in love with the sport of road bike racing. I like to mountain bike still -but just for fun and getting outside. I take road racing far more seriously 😉 I still remember when I wanted to buy my first 10 speed – I think I was 12 or something? My mom said I had to work to save up 1/2 the money and she would pay for the other half so I mowed lawns until I earned the money. I still remember the day I rode it home for the first time from the store 😀

Heather – Most likely to steal your hat then charge you training fees as you chase her to get it back.

At age 45, with weight and cholesterol numbers starting to creep upwards, my doctor said that I should get some regular exercise. I haven’t been exercising regularly since I was in high school when I ran cross country and did road running in the summer. With an artificial hip, running is out as an option now. And I have never been much of a swimmer.

Then last January, I heard that RAGBRAI (a week long ride across the state of Iowa) was ending in the town I grew up in. So the need to exercise found a goal to shoot for and my love affair with biking began on St Patrick’s Day, 2010. That spring and summer I logged over 2100 miles to get ready for RAGBRAI. During the last week of July, I joined tens of thousands of others making the trek across Iowa, riding 450 miles or so that week. It. Was. A. Blast.

For some reason though, after RAGBRAI, I didn’t ride all that much. I’d think about it. But one reason (re: excuse) or another came up and I didn’t get out there.

As the winter months wore on, the weight I lost last spring and summer returned… plus some. Then I changed jobs in mid-Feb. My new job is 10 miles from my home. (My old office was 250 miles away.) And there is NO unrestricted parking in the downtown area until at least a mile out. So, now, I am riding at least part way to work everyday. Looking forward to being able to ride all the way soon.

I’ve been riding seriously since 1985 and bike commuted to every job and school since then by bike. I donate my old bikes to friends on the promise that they pass them on to others when they no longer need them. I LOVE Mexican food and I’m one sarcastic son of a bitch who can work a double entendre like a master. (ED – so do you like Mexican food or not!?)

I’ve been in the health and fitness business as a gym owner for the past 25 years. I began teaching spin classes over ten years ago even though I had not been on actual bicycle since I was a teenager. In the summer of 2005 my family was on vacation in Yosemite National Park and I noticed that they rented bicycles to the visitors. We rented some bikes and rode around the park all day long. I couldn’t remember when I had had that much fun so the next time we went, I took a bike that belonged to my son and rode that one. Pretty soon I was shopping for a mountain bike which I rode sparingly for a year. I then got the chance to ride Specialized Sirrus hybrid road bike and decided that I really liked the speed and riding on roads. In 2007 I bought my first proper road bike which was a Bianchi Giro with Shimano 105 components. Pretty soon I was regularly riding centuries and double centuries. At the Auburn Criterium in 2010 I began to wonder what it would be like to actually race on a bicycle and this past Sunday, I entered the Masters 35+ Cat 4, 5 race at the 2011 Auburn Criterium along with 50 others. I managed to last until the last couple of laps before being pulled along with another rider. I’ve never entered a race of any kind before in my life and it was quite an experience. It was unbelievably difficult, exciting, and exhilarating all at the same time. Can’t wait to do it again. (ED – Crit racing is a great way to get that racing bug!)

The mold was broken the day that Aaron Madrid was brought into the world. Some recall hearing the sound of all of the eagles in the world, of every size, shape, and colour giving a resounding screech at the moment he opened his charcoal dark eyes for the first time. His first words were the lyrics to Queen’s “We are the Champions”; His first steps caused a volcano in the Pacific Southeast to erupt and create a new tropical island. Destiny could have taken Aaron down many roads, astronaut, sword fisherman (fishing with a sword, not for swordfish), Olympic gymnast, or possibly president of a very prominent local club, however he chose to defy the fates and choose his own road. Ignoring Frost, he bypassed the path less traveled, and never bothered to wonder, as Rudyard Kipling would suggest, “If”. After just one score and seven years, he had conquered the treacherous adventure that is marriage and moved on to the next leg of his journey becoming a father. His daughter made him a new man, and provided purpose. She along with his wife, is his life and his strength. Now, along with his trusty, steel-wheeled steed, he roams[?] the cities of the Mid-west spreading encouragement and a message of perseverance, to any and all who will listen. Fueled by passion and coffee, under the nom de plume, Aaronthestrong, he infects the web spreading good cheer and telling others of his love for life through text, photo, and video.

“…The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” – Sylvia Plath

Aaron – Most likely to be the first successful breeder of fire-breathing dragons in the United States.

Hey there classmates! My name is Krissy and I’m The Cycling Librarian. Some people may think that librarians are nerdy….and in many cases I would agree….but I’m trying to break that stereotype one bookmark at a time 😉 Not that being a nerd is a bad thing, because I consider myself to be a bike nerd. I’m obsessive about cleaning my bike in the shower….yes, the shower. The shower contains the mess and works well for me since I’m living the “apartment life.” I’m a nerd about cycling jerseys and own more of them than I do pairs of shoes and am always looking to add to my collection. I love things to match! This is so important to me that my next bike is going to be silver so that it matches my Jeep and so goes with nearly all of my kits. Other things I’m “nerdy” about are as follows: Cereal (takes up four cupboards in my kitchen), Nutella, coffee, making lists, and *gasp* reading. So yes, I’m a librarian, and a nerd….but a cool one!

Cycling has always been a passion of mine, but it has deepened over the past ten years. I’m what I call a “serious-recreational cyclist” as I don’t race, but am pretty competitive with myself while on the bike. I like going fast, I like passing people, and I love hills! Riding has always been somewhat of an escape for me and gives me time to blow off steam or just not think at all. As of this past March I am two years sober, and that is largely in part of the redirecting of energy my bike has provided me. Instead of finding a bottle to deal with an issue, I just get on my bike and sweat it out. My bike doesn’t care about who I used to be or the terrible things I’ve done in my life; it just lets me push it; it wants me too.
Cycling is a family thing too. I’ve had the pleasure of riding across Iowa eight times on RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) with my grandfather (79 yrs old), dad, step mom, uncles, aunts, cousins….etc….and truly look forward to July every year so that I can spend time with them. My grandfather was the one who got the rest of us interested in the bike ride and I hope someday that I can ride with my kids (and even grand kids too) on the ride that has been so incredibly special to my family. Our team name is Team Uffda. We’re Norwegian and the word “uffda” is something that one might say if they hit their hand with a hammer, or find they’ve run out of gears while climbing a massive hill. I’m very proud of my team/family and how we all share a love for riding our bicycles.
So that’s pretty much me – Librarian who loves riding her bike (The Cycling Librarian). I don’t take myself too seriously, have lots of fun, and LOVE being a student at Bike School!

Krissy – Most likely to leave you at the bottom of a climb… and then give you the history of the hill once you’ve made it to the top.

I’m Katie. I live in Nyack, NY – just outside NYC. I do some urban riding in the city, but the bulk is road riding in the ‘burbs, along with some CX action on the local bike trails. My town was recently featured as a cycling destination in Bicycling Magazine, and there is a ton of great riding to be had just outside my door. This year I am riding four tours, one of which is in NJ – the rest in NY state. I ride for fun and fitness and look forward to building strength and skill in the process.

Born May 15, in Mexico.
Moved to US in the mid 70’s.
Hometown is Las Cruces, NM.
Studied Civil Engineering & Architecture.
Work at TxDOT in Transportation Planning.
I have a passion for the arts, cycling and soccer.
I am married to Shane Boyd. I have three sons: Tim, Justin & Brandon and a beautiful granddaughter, Opal.
I currently live in El Paso, TX., I am a member of the El Paso Bicycle Club and volunteer for the local soccer league, where I plan to referee games soon! (ED – Brave lady!)
Love my #BikeSchool profs and classmates along with my #TwitterStadium soccer buddies.

Martha – Most likely to create the biking equivalent of a ‘soccer-mom minivan’.

Annalisa is a commuter cyclist with a roadie past. Her first road bike was an 80’s Bianchi, which she acquired at the age of 15 and rode for over 10 years. Currently, she is riding a loop-frame ANT Boston Roadster, building out a Surly Long Haul Trucker, and on the hunt for another Bianchi (in celeste green, of course). Annalisa is also a touring cyclist. She is hoping to do a year-long tour of the US in 2012 and meet as many #bikeschool peeps as she possibly can. (ED – get some water-wings and tour the UK too!)

Annalisa – Most likely to have a bike collection to make you go, “Ooooooo!”

Chris is the creator of Lighter Footstep, a green lifestyle website. He’s a web designer and environmental writer living in Pensacola, Florida, and plans to debut a new site — CarFree Living — this summer. Chris has been car-free in sprawling suburbia for two years.

Chris – Most likely to tell you how quickly you can kill the planet by sucking, squeezing, banging & blowing.

My first bicycle was nowhere near being ‘cool’. I just decided to learn how to ride a bicycle by borrowed without asking (I gave it back so it wasn’t considered stolen);)) an adult bicycle at least three or four sizes too big for me complete with shopping basket in front and just had at it. After many crashes and bent basket, I learned and I was hooked. [ED – I can confirm this is not theft and shall not be hunting down Kui to bring him to justice]

My first real bicycle was the ‘all-I-saved-up’ BMX. It would shape what I am all about and how I ride. Not too long after I had it, I had that whole bike stripped and chromed as many parts as I could. ‘Brakes’ were never put back. It was ‘sliding brake’ only or in an emergency, it was the ‘stick-your-foot-on-front-tire-behind-fork-crown’ braking.

It was the freedom, the wind in my face, the serenity and the empowerment of personalized transportation that got me to fall in love with cycling long before Gearing, Cadence, Lactate Threshold or Nutrition Plans even entered my life …

College and a few years of work took me away from cycling and my BMX which was sadly left rusted back home. One day while at work, one of my best friends walked over and said “Kui, you are doing Tahoe this year.” I had no idea what she was talking about but as a rule with my very best friends, I never say ‘no’. So, just like that, after many years, I was back riding again.

After finishing my first Century, AMBBR ’05 with Team in Training, I never looked back. I found cycling as a great way to settle the score with myself. Whatever frustrations or things that clouded my mind that day, after hitting the first climb, all those will be gone by then. I love to climb and the pains that come along with it. I can be found grinning or even laughing for no apparent reason while climbing and I have a love-hate relationship with switchbacks.

Most important fact about riding with me: “I love getting lost riding as I believe it’s the beginning of a new adventure.” … Ask my peeps, they can attest to that.

Kui – Most likely to get you lost and then laugh in your face when you complain about having to ride back up the hill you just came down!

If you haven’t sent in a bio yet and want the #bikeschool community to know a little more about you send it to stevie@lovingthebike.com and keep checking back here for new student-based content!

I somehow missed this on the first round. It’s great to see classmates and what brings them to Bikeschool. One glaring omission though are our fearless leaders, @lovingthebike, @bikerly and @egggman! Come on guys. Every good yearbook has a staff section too.

I’d be part of Bikeschool, but as Stevie says, at 0200hrs UK time and me getting up at 0500hrs to pedal into work it’s a non-starter! I’ll have to think about a video though for truanting school members! But then again my Brummie accent might be a bit much. Stevie can let you all know about that.

Yeah, it’s not a great time of day for you guys over there in the UK. We’ll have to find a way to make it something that you can more easily take part in….working on it. You can definitely get your video in and be part of the yearbook. Good stuff.

My question is other than juice, can you suggest modifications in lieu of table sugar for energy and hydration.

Answer:

Both raw/organic honey or agave can work great in the homebrew (substitute in the same quantities for the sugar, or to taste), but you do have to shake well in order to make sure they don’t settle out. Have you tried either of these? Also, make sure to use at least the minimum amount of salt recommended in the homebrew as the temps rise, you need the sodium replacement if you’re sweating.